God Doesn't Need My Money

"God doesn't need my money," he said to me, "but I need to give it."

This is possibly the wisest piece of biblical financial counsel I have ever heard.

God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He can pull enough money from the mouth of a fish to pay two men's taxes. He can make limited resources unlimited, and call into being that which is not. God and his work here on earth do not need my money.

But I need to give it.

I need to give to remind myself that everything I have comes from him. The breath in my lungs, the strength in my body, the brain in my skull, and whatever abilities or creativity I possess are all gifts freely given to me by God.

I need to give to remind myself to seek first the kingdom of God, and all the other parts of my life, including my finances, will fall into their proper order.

I need to give to remind myself it's not all about me, and that there are people who are less fortunate than I who can use my help.

I need to give to personally experience the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

I need to give because where my treasure is, there will my heart be also. If I am only marginally invested in our church and its missionaries, food pantry, and benevolence fund, then I will also be marginally involved in its work. If I have invested much, I will pray for the mnistries, work with, promote, and love them.

I need to give because I am naturally selfish. If left to my own inclinations, I'll usually invest my best time, energy, and resources in bettering myself, not promoting God's kingdom.

I need to give because God's work is the only work that lasts for eternity. When I give to God, I'm investing in someone else's eternal destiny. I can't think of a better return for my money.

I need to give because I want more faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. When I give instead of hoard, I exercise faith. Like a muscle, faith grows when exercised, so if I exercise faith by giving, my faith muscle grows bigger and stronger.

 I need to give to acknowledge that my job is not my provider; God is.

I need to give to remind myself that I serve God, not the other way around.

And finally, I need to give because I owe a debt I can never repay. "For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only Son."

Lord Jesus, if you never did another thing for me after you saved me, I would still be forever in your debt. When I give you my money, time, and talents, it is my humble way of saying 'Thank you.' Thank you for loving me, providing for me, and for every 'good and perfect gift' that comes down from above. I did not earn Your kindness, nor will I ever deserve it, but I am humbly grateful. I love you, Lord.

 "There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches"  (Proverbs 13:7-8). 

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner

Backward Giving

It was the only time I saw my daughter cry during our family mission trip to Mexico. Our assignment that day was to visit one of the poorest families in the church. Marta was a single mom and the sole provider for her mother and five children. They lived in a one-room cinderblock house the size of my kitchen and living room. Until a team from the states had built their home, all seven of them had lived in a one-room shack made of thick corrugated cardboard walls and a tin roof.

When we arrived, all five of the children met us by the side of the dirt road where they had been waiting for hours. They were neatly dressed in their Sunday clothes. Pati, the youngest child and only girl, had her shiny dark hair carefully braided and tied with two ribbons. After the introductions were made, each child shyly approached us with gifts. Pati presented her gift to my youngest daughter. She handed her a carefully washed piece of fruit neatly wrapped in a napkin.

Knowing that these children had very little to eat, my daughter looked at me with wide eyes. “Mom!” she whispered, “I can’t take this! What if it’s all they have?”

“Take it,” I encouraged her. “They care more about giving it to you than keeping it for themselves.” That night I held her as she cried. We all cried as we talked about how humbling it was to be the recipients of such sacrificial gifts

American Christians, myself included, approach giving like this, “If I have enough money left over after I pay my bills and meet my family’s needs, I will give.” Philippians 4:19 seems to support this. “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” That is until you read the context. Earlier in the chapter, Paul talks about how the Philippian church had been the only church to sacrificially give to meet his needs. He called their gifts “fragrant offering(s), acceptable sacrifice(s), and pleasing to God.”

It is only AFTER Paul commends them for their sacrificial giving does he issue the promise: “AND (because you have given to me FIRST), my God will meet all your needs.” We American Christians have it backward. The reason God gives to us is not so every need of ours will be satisfied, but so we can give to others. The late Pastor E.V. Hill, speaking to the congregation of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles, put it this way, “When GAAWD blesses you, he don’t even have you in mind!”

Will you join me in trusting God enough to give sacrificially?